Whales vs Sharks

Okay, so we know you can tell which is which, but can you name 5 major differences between sharks and whales?

Basics: Sharks are fish, whales are mammals; sharks lay eggs and have gills, whales give birth and breathe air from above the surface. Whales move their horizontal tail-fins up and down, while sharks move their vertical tail-fins side to side. Bla bla bla! More here 🙂

Here’s one you might not know: Whales communicate through sound, which travels four times faster in water, and they orient themselves through a sort of internal sonar. Though we are not certain how sharks communicate, we do know that they have a remarkable sense that no human has ever experienced, called electroreception. Sharks have a number of tiny receptors freckled across the head and nose which can detect even the tiniest electromagnetic pulse in the water surrounding them. So, in other words, the shark knows your every move.

History Schmistory: January 23. Last day in the China shop.

Engraving of the Battle of Zama by Cornelis Cort, 1567 [public domaine]

Engraving of the Battle of Zama by Cornelis Cort, 1567 [public domain]

971: In China, the war elephant corps of Southern Han are thoroughly defeated at Shao by crossbow fire from Song Dynasty troops. The remaining disheartened pachyderms relocate to Middle-earth where they enjoy a more favorable size advantage.

Cryptozoology Break: The Unicorn

unicorn-245642_640Who knows exactly how the unicorn was gradually ascribed its girly connotation… Possibly it started in medieval times when it was believed that the unicorn could be tamed by only the purest of maidens. Regardless, the legend of the unicorn goes waaaaay back, much much further than She-Ra and My Little Pony. Archeologists have discovered depictions of a one-horned-horsey-creature on cave walls dating back to the Paleolithic era, around 14,000 BC. In many forms, the unicorn pops up in folklore across nearly every ancient region you can think of, often as a creature to be feared. From the Nordics to the Middle East to Africa to the Far East, the unicorn has donned many names and a variety of manifestations: Dragon-like, larger than an elephant, glowing red eyes,  glowing blue eyes, with the body of a bull, the hooves of a deer, the tail of a lion, the beard of a goat; faster than a wildebeest, more ferocious than a tiger, and more elusive than Cleopatra on roller skates; while its trademark horn runs the gamut from short and black to long, sharp and super-sparkly. Famed writers throughout history have avowed the unicorns existence, from Aristotle to Pliny the Elder to Confucius to Genghis Khan to Julius Caesar to the dudes who wrote the Bible! Even Marco Polo swears he saw one while traveling the Silk Road, though we’re pretty sure it was just a Rhinoceros. (Don’t tell him we said that.) So what do you think? Could they have possibly existed? Or are we just beating a dead unicorn. HA HA HA! In any event, we think it’s time to bring the unicorn back to a place of gender-neutral allurement…

THIS JUST IN: Unicorn poop is apparently rainbow colored and tastes delicious…

History Schmistory: January 4. An Elephant Never Forgets…

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Edison.jpg#/media/File:Edison.jpg, [public domain]

1903: Topsy, an old circus elephant, is electrocuted by Thomas Edison in an effort to shed light on the “dangers” of AC current, during the much publicized War of Currents campaign. More proof that Thomas Edison had no soul. Just look at the guy…

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